The Seattle nightlife scene offers far more than beer and bands. As a cultural outpost in this corner of the country, Seattle is a draw for national tours by top musical acts, Broadway shows, modern dance troupes, hot comics, even avant-garde theater groups. The city also has homegrown talent in most of those areas, too, and the arts scene to support them. Big shows hit Key Arena, the Seattle Center Opera House, and the Paramount and Fifth Avenue theaters. More intimate music venues such as the Show Box and Neumo’s host a rotating slate of name national performers across genres. Multiple bars and clubs showcase live local talent, notably the renowned Crocodile Café and the Sunset, Comet and Tractor taverns. A vast selection of watering holes – from dive bars to brewpubs to chic lounges and clubs – can be found in ultra-funky Capitol Hill, historic and hip Pioneer Square downtown and the University District near the University of Washington campus. On the Boards, a local theater group, produces edgy local and regional theater, while film collective Northwest Film Forum spotlights interesting and out-there art films and documentaries. Alternative rock bars still hold their place, but beat-driven dance clubs are alive and well, as are venues for blues and jazz, most distinctively Demitriou’s Jazz Alley, which hosts prominent players from around the globe.
A native of Tacoma, Washington - Seattle’s smaller sibling to the south - journalist John Ferri has lived everywhere in and around the Pacific Northwest. He started college in Bellingham, lived in the San Juan Islands, and finished college in Pullman, Washington, before living and working for a time in Spokane. He then moved to Florida, where he lived and...
Lauren McMahon